Art of Blogging

February 10, 2011

Outside my window: It's a cold, dark night. -4 degrees right now!

I am hearing: My hubby find my latest book club selection, Theophilos (it's been hiding under the ottoman today). And yes, he usually ends up reading a lot of our book club selections. O'Brien is one of his personal favorite authors (and mine too!).

I am wearing: Pregnancy pants and a navy blue polo.

I am thankful for: My mom making the boys' lunches for me for tomorrow. For my wonderful Dr. who called me this evening to discuss some things (that she even will return a call still shocks me, that she actually cares and ends the consversation with "God bless you" even more so)... For the delicious enchiladas that Mom and Tim made for dinner.

I am Thinking: About looking for a classic movie on Netflix to watch with my mom, and am making plans tomorrow to bring Seamus to storytime.

I am Pondering: Much about Sammy these days. Got the cast off on Monday and the more permanent brace went on. He'll be wearing that thing until the cows come home. Found out that he'll only fit the UGLIEST shoes known to mankind. Bid on some stride rite's in extra wide that may do the trick. Never thought the day would come when I couldn't find shoes for him to wear. Would love to take him to storytime tomorrow, but it's during his naptime. Haven't been out with him alone with this new brace yet. Am dreading the questions that will come when I do.

I am Praying for: Friend's marriages. My own marriage. For the poor that are without adequate housing and heat. For Sammy to always feel like he is absolutely perefect in our eyes. For me to feel normal again. For my friend Shari whose husband had a terrible knee and leg injury from a fall last week. For his pain to dissapate. For the dr's and staff at my clinic who are so wonderfully caring. I love going to a Christian/Catholic health clinic. For my hubby to feel good and to be warmer while working outside!!

Books on my Nightstand: Graced and GiftedThis book has been surprising me. Really enjoying it. Just got to the chapter on time management. Hold fast, my dear heart! LOVE anything about time management, and anything with Kimberly Hahn's perspective is a huge bonus in my book (no pun intended).

Taking Care of Myself: Took a long nap today because hubby got home early. Truly wonderful. Am writing this blog post which is another biggie for me.

From the Kitchen: Hopefully some ice cream with hot fudge sauce.

Around the House: Clutter, clutter, clutter everywhere (most of it pink). Which is fine by me! Well, mostly. The pink color, not the actual clutter.

I am Creating: I was going to say nothing, but I may have to re-do a little fundraiser poster in Storybook :).

Feast Day Fun: I've really fallen behind on this sort of stuff. Just making it Mass is a big deal for me right now. Have been thinking about making some special for Valetine's Day. Does that count?

One of My Favorite Things: half and half for my coffee.

Recent Family Field Trips: Does Gillette Children's count? At least this time we went afterwards to celebrate the cast coming off! Went to Cossetta's in St. Paul for yummy Italian. It's been about 15 years since we went last. And we didn't have six kids then, either. One older woman walked up to Tim when he was sitting down at the table with the boys (I was downstairs ordering). She had tears in her eyes and was sharing with Tim how much she missed "those days" with her brood of seven.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week: Survival :). Am planning a library trip with Seamus, we'll see if that can happen. Other than that, possibly picking up the boys? I would love to buy some rubbermaid containers to organize the older girls' clothing.

My P.E.O. group had a wonderful baby shower for Meredith! These shoes are quite to special to me because they have daisies on them :).

December 19, 2010

This morning I read a post on Faith & Family and am contemplating how to incorporate this word into my daily life for the new year: JOY. I am a pretty much extroverted, happy person so it may seem odd that I would need to conscientously choose JOY. But I do. There are so many joy-stealers out there.

Yesterday I was irrirated because I honestly can't even order a Christmas gift for myself (this was to be the BIG one, and every year I seem to put off getting my own gift and thus, hubby feels very guilty when he opens his). It was stealing my joy that I was wasting time looking at this and that, that hubby was wanting me to place the order and I couldn't decide! I finally realized this morning that sometimes materialism, or the seeking of it, robs me of my joy. And I don't feel like giving in to that right now. I'd rather go to Mass and listen to stories and psalms about the One who gives joy.

Now with baby arriving soon, I'm seeing that there are so many pressures and stressful things that can rob me of my joy the joy of Christ this coming week. Just making a grocery list has me stressed out, and forget actually going to the store! My energy level has decreased and my brain just can not wrap around planning meals for next week when I won't be here to even cook them in the first place. So maybe it'll be more canned soup than usual (which we normally don't buy on a regular basis, would it truly be the end of the world?!).

So in order to honestly practice being more joyful, I must catch myself in that nanosecond before I descend into the negative thinking that takes the joy away in the first place. And that is hard for me to do. I am a sanguine tempermant and sanguines don't seem to pause much. Pregancy seems to help me pause, though, so this week I'll be thinking and reflecting more. And when I'm thinking more and doing less, I start to sense the joy much more... like canned soup when things are stressful...

September 01, 2010

I am thankful for... a very packed two days with lots of additional boys who are now home with their own families

From the learning rooms... school supplies need to be in order and a last-minute list should probably be made

From the kitchen... made some ultimate comfort food. An America's Test Kitchen recipe: Skillet Chili Mac (I put in less seasoning and love it mild)

I am wearing... jeans and a favorite lime green polo I got at the thrift store

I am creating... a new little one

I am going...probably have a good talk with hubby tonight and get some good rest

I am reading... Just finished reading my Faith & Family magazine and "Fatherless" by Brian Gail.

I am hoping... that we will be able to have a relaxing weekend and that I'll be getting some work done decluttering around the house

I am hearing... hubby get the ice cream out

Around the house... laundry needs to be folded and put away, bathrooms should be scrubbed down (an extra five boys using the bathrooms gives me a great excuse to take time tomorrow to do that)

One of my favorite things... evenings. Especially because the boys are usually in bed by 8:00 during the school year, 8:30 in the summer. Love that evening alone time with hubby, my book, whatever.

A few plans for the rest of the week: look up the upcoming feast days, attempt to make a plan to declutter the boys' bedrooms and organize clothes into tupperware, put new mulch on the flower bed that desperately needs the plastic covered up

June 09, 2010

I've been having too much fun making this header (and with life around here lately, it's taken me awhile to get done!). I have loved using a wee bit of the creative side of my brain (not that there is a lot left there!). That completed piece of work won't be getting dirty, messed up, thrown in the trash, eaten for dinner, needing to be laundered, or anything else that usually needs to happen after I "make" something.

I should also mention that I will be forever grateful to my dear friend Andrea. A few years after we started Comfy Bummy Diapers, she came to visit and was always so interested in the different cloth diaper products (visitors to our home were always fascinated for some reason!) we carried. At the time she was working for a TV station in the twin cities. She mentioned cloth diapers as a potential news item, and they showed up to do a story on our business!! That was so much fun and we soon received so many calls about it, a ton of business, etc. That was the "crazy year" for CB and it was a great shot in the arm for us emotionally, financially and mentally. We eventually sold the business and it is even more successful now and I'm so happy it's not only surviving, but actually thriving (a great product to sell in this economy!). A lot of our success is due to people like Andrea and I still appreciate her support even years later.

Thanks to Andrea again for giving me license to go out on a limb and attempt to be a little bit creative, because after all, that's where the fruit is!

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Prayer of St. Ignatius

Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labor and not to ask for reward,
save that of knowing that I do your will.